Recently I bought Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Every Day and I can’t put it down.  The recipes are creative and inspiring. The photographs are total food porn and I am in deep smit. This lentil stew is one of the first recipes that I made from her cookbook and it does not disappoint. It also makes a metric butt load, so be ready to EAT SOME STEW. Or invite people over…or freeze small portions for lunches like I did.

Curried Lentil Stew (serves 8 to 10)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil (or coconut oil)
• 2 large yellow onions, chopped
• 1 cup of diced sweet potato
• 1.5 Tablespoons curry powder
• 1/2 cup wheat berries (can use farro, spelt, bulgur, or even wild rice mix)
• 1 1/4 cups of green or black lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 7 cups of vegetable broth (or water)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup plain or greek-style yogurt (optional topping)
• Grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon (optional topping)

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Stir in onions and sweet potato. Cook until the onion softens, approximately 5 minutes. Add the curry powder and stir until the onions and sweet potatoes are coated with the curry powder.
2. Add the wheat berries, lentils, and veggie broth. Bring to a boil.  Decrease the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 50 minutes. The wheat berries and lentils should be cooked through. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls.
3. (optional) In a separate small bowl, stir together the yogurt and lemon zest and juice. Add about 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt. Serve each bowl of stew with a tablespoon of this lemon zested yogurt. It really adds a great lift to the soup. Try it!